The 2024 tennis season will officially get underway on Friday in Australia, where group-stage competition at the United Cup is set to begin. A matchup between Alex de Minaur and Cameron Norrie headlines the Australia vs. Great Britain tie.
Alex de Minaur (AUS) vs. Cameron Norrie (GBR)
De Minaur and Norrie will be squaring off for the fourth time in their careers and for the second time at the United Cup when Australia and Great Britain clash in Group C on Friday night in Perth. Norrie beat De Minaur at this event last season, but the Aussie leads the head-to-head series 2-1 thanks to victories on the red clay of Barcelona in 2022 (6-3, 5-7, 6-1) and this past summer in Toronto (7-5, 6-4).
Norrie’s 2023 win over De Minaur headlined a red-hot first two months for the British left-hander, but the last eight months were a much different story. Norrie plunged to 18th in the rankings and did not win multiple matches at any of his final five tournaments.
De Minaur, on the other hand, parlayed his opening-round defeat of Norrie into a runner-up performance at the Toronto Masters and from there the world No. 12 did not look back. He reached the fourth round of the U.S. Open and helped Australia advance to a second consecutive Davis Cup final (lost to Italy).
“I think I’m coming off my best season and a year where I felt like a couple of things have clicked and I have been able to accomplish a lot of what I set my mind out to,” De Minaur explained. “But saying that, as well, I’m pretty close to breaking into that Top 10. It is a goal of mine. It’s not going to come easy. I’m doing all the right things. Hopefully a good Australian summer can put the right step into the right direction and hopefully I can accomplish that.”
De Minaur is confident and always loves playing for his country, so look for him to avenge his previous United Cup loss to Norrie.
Pick: De Minaur in 3
WWW?
Demon in three . Would be two except its the first match of the year .
And on that note, Ill drink to a great season starting here
ADF “should” win because he’s lazy but hasn’t played in while so should be motivated. A nice kicker to De Minaur in a multi.
This time of the year is a lottery; there’s always upsets, but both of these players should be motivated.
Forget ADF. Who knows what version will turn up. Seybold Wild is probably better value.
“De Minaur is confident and always loves playing for his country,…”
Sure, the country that he hardly lived 5-6 years in altogether, was born in Australia, returned to Spain, then came back to Australia because he couldn’t get any money out of Spanish tennis association but Tennis Australia was ready to throw the money on anyone who can bring them old glory, as soon as he secured sponsors he returned to Spain and now visiting his “homeland” of Australia few times a year when he plays in Australia, really “True Blue” Aussie 😉
and?
Ironic ,same thing could be said about Norrie and GB , couldnt it?
And many other players for that matter
Let me simplify, this was what prompted my comment because of its inaccuracy:
““De Minaur is confident and always loves playing for his country,…”
It would be accurate if it says:
“De Minaur is confident and always loves playing for Australia,…”
How do you decide which is “his” country for the people with dual citizenship, in a case of Norrie triple, during covid Norrie went to “his” country, New Zealand.
I am pretty qualified to talk about it since I have dual citizenship myself.
Also it can’t be said for lot of players since those players didn’t leave Australia at the age of 5, trained in Spain until age of 13 and when they didn’t qualified for financial support in there new/old homeland returned to Australia at the age of 13, secured financial support from Tennis Australia and after year or so returned to their “homeland” Spain and never return back apart of when they play.
Raonic arrived in Canada at the age of 2, his parents didn’t take him back to Montenegro to try their luck and then when Montenegro wouldn’t give him money returned him to Canada, he is true Canadian, forever grateful what Canada did for him, even his siblings returned to Montenegro.
Would have picked Demon in 3….but nice win for Norrie.
Mel Gibson is bigger Aussie than De Manure, though he never held Australian citizenship nor was born in Australia.
Just by getting citizenship and proclaiming you are an Aussie in order to secure money to become tennis player doesn’t really make you Aussie (or American) but you won’t get it, would you?
There is more to nationality (being part of one nation) than just taking the citizenship of one country for the purpose of financial benefits.
you’re missing the point entirely
he could be from Timbuktu. As long as he loves playing for Australia, he is going to be inspired whenever he takes the court.
Actually, you are missing the point, I explained it above, if you said “he loves playing for Australia” instead of “he loves playing for his home country”, as you said now, I would agreed with you.
correction:
should say “for his country”
Most players have one country they play under the flag of .So it’s only right they would be proud to do so .